GN eyes public-private fix to build new housing

The Government of Nunavut is looking at partnerships with private companies to build more social housing and employee staff housing, Nunavut Housing Corp. officials told MLAs March 8.

Concern about the future and the $110-million in cost overruns recently racked up by the Nunavut Housing Corp. is prompting the GN to find “alternative housing modes in Nunavut,” Tagak Curley, the Nunavut housing minister, told MLAs during a review of the corporation’s $143.8 million budget request for 2011-12.

And this may mean working more closely with the private sector to build public and staff housing, Curley and NHC president Alain Barriault said.

They said Nunavut’s shortage of funds for housing could become more acute if the federal government doesn’t promise more money for public housing in its March 22 budget.

“I think it’ll be very important for members to pay attention on March 22 whether or not the federal government will announce any new funding, If they don’t, for the northern territories, we are going to be scrapped for funds,” Curley said.

If there is no more money allotted for public housing, no more public housing can be built unless the GN wants to use its own money.

Until now, Nunavut has been used to only one way of building new social housing, Curley said.

He said that “one way” involves taking federal money coming, then channeling it through the housing corporation and the Government of Nunavut.

The GN is also lobbying Ottawa, along with the other provinces and territories, for more operations and maintenance money to run its housing stock.

At the same time, GN plans to look for other ways to pay for staff housing, in co-operation with the private sector.

The GN promoted such a plan in 2006, but backed away from the scheme when many employees complained it would cause rent increases. Developers were also cool to the idea.

Barriault said that a leasing arrangement between the GN and private companies could allow the private sector to develop housing in smaller communities.

The GN will produce a long-term housing strategy for the legislature’s fall session, which will address rental housing, home ownership and staff housing, as well as public-private partnerships for infrastructure.

A possible source of money for the housing corporation: selling its 3,000 sealift containers in Nunavut communities, according to Ron Elliott, MLA for Quttiktuq, who suggested the sales of these containers could bring in $9 million.